Material handling apparatus



July 2, 1935. J. J. NEUMAN 2,006,871

MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS l Original Filed Feb. 23,*1935 Mmm! O gjm/umm fzfaco /Ifeuman .B y j GMM/MA; A

Patented July 2, 1935 UNITED STATES aooasn MATERIAL IIANDLING` APPARATUS A e l Jacob J. Neuman, South Salem, N. Y. Y Original application February 23, 1933, Serial No.

658,069. Divided and this application 1934, Serial No. 724,468

v'.2 claims. (o1. 212-717) p My present invention relates to material han- (lling` apparatus, and more particularly to a trolley supported load hoist pivoted to the trolley frame to have a swinging movement and which is provided with sway preventing means. This application is a division of my copending application iiled February 23, 1933, Serial No. 658,069, which has matured intoPatentNo. 1,988,855, granted January 22, 1935.

m The general object of the present invention is to provide a relatively simple apparatus whereby commodities, such as raw sugar, may be eX- peditiously handled at the dock orlpier' for the purpose of rst weighing the same, and then 15 tmnsplthg the weighed bags or packagesV to a conveyer, storageelevator or other relatively remote point so thatthemanual labor heretofore incident to the handling of such materials may be reduced to a minimum. v 2 The invention has for one of its objects to provide for the use of traveling trolley cranes suitably mounted on a pier or dock, each having means in the form'of` a pivotedhoist for-raising and lowering a plurality of-bags ofgsugar or other material, together with means for automatically controlling the travel of' the trolley hoists and the operation thereoiwhereby the load of each hoist is first positioned upon the weighing scale, and after being weighed, is then transported to a position above a conveyer and the loadt'discharged thereon. n

In the-type of trolley hoist referred to, means are provided. for pivotally connecting the load hoist with a trolley frame which'ismounted on a monorail, all in such manner that excessive strain Vupon the hoist and the monorail is obviated during the liftingof the load'from a position, at one side ofthe hoist; and an important object of the` present invention is to provide means whereby rto stabilize the load being lifted or lowered by the pivotallyt connected hoist and to prevent swinging or swaying motion of the load relative to the hoist.

More specicallythe present inventioninvolves theV provision upon the pivotally connected hoist of a hoistmotor mounted@ on na'hoist frame and of a hollow, vertically moveable, rigid; box-like load stabilizing Yframe depending from saidfhoist frame and surrounding said hoist motor, a plurality of spaced apart 'loadf engagingnmembers rigidy with said stabilizing-frame and` rollers on the ends of said members,` saidA rollers4 beingl adapted to engageirregularly shaped loads; the said@ stabilizing framejand' the' said load/ engage ing members being resilientlyurgd downwardly stantially on the lineZ-Z of Figgl; and

electric Vmoto-r l2 movable as a Vsaid May 8,

against the top of the load as the later is raisedl or l y lowered by the hoist through the operation of the hoist motor. Y

Another object of my invention is' to so construct and arrange the lio-ists and stabilizing mechanisms therefor as to provide furthe free and untrammeled use-of automatically acting means for controlling the travelfof the trolleys to the end that any collisionv will beprevented as between two or more trolleys when one of* thenflV Vis stationary at the weighingstation.

' With" the above and other/objects Vinview, the invention consists in theI improved apparatus, and inthe form, construction and vrelative arrangement of its several parts as will be hereinafter more `fullyV described, illustrated in thoraccompanying rdrawing and subsequentlyV incorporated in the subjoined claims. 7 In the drawing wherein I have illustratedone simple and practical embodiment of my present improvements, and in `which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several vieway y K Figure 1 is a side elevational view, showing a l* trolley supported hoist with sway preventing means in accordance with my; invention;

' Fig.' 2 is a vertical sectional view, takensub- Fig. *3 is a fragmentary plan 'view illustrating one installation of my present invention; and

:showing a plurality ofl hoists arranged ,upon a pier or dock for, handling the bags'oi material s as'they are unloaded yfrom the hold of a vessel.

Referring in detail to the drawing, I have; shown A A for the purpose of illustrating the Yapplication 35 and luse of my present invention, a Y continuous monorailv tracht', preferably though .no-t necessarily, havingv a cross-sectional, I-beam form which is suitablyvsupported upon the water front y dock or Vother place where the bagsof material are 40 to be unloaded, transierredor otherwise handled. An electrically vcontrolled hoist generally indivcated at 6 is mounted injsuspendedv relation lfrom the continuous monorail 5 for longitudinal travel- 4 ing movement thereon. Preferably, the hoist '45 at the top thereof, is suspended from the rod or trtnnion` fl mounted in the trolley frame 8", so that said hoist has transverse'lswinging movement relativeV to said trolley frame..A 1 The'elongated'frame 8 is in turn suspended from the monorail Elbythe 50 front and reartrolleys rSand, lll, respectively, the

yformer being power-driven by a reversiblefelecr'tric motor indicatedat Il.

VThe hoist 5 is also operated by? alfreversible w I 56 hoist with respect to the trolley frame 3. The hoist includes the cable sheave I3 raised and lowered in the operation of the motor I2 and which is provided with the hook I4 to which the load-receiving sling I5 is adapted to be connected.

A vertically movable frame I'I. is provided at opposite sides thereofwwith upwardly extending arms I8 and I8, respectively, a pair of the arms I8 at one side of said frame being'slotted as at 2 to receive spaced guide bolts 2| projecting from. the housing of the hoist 6.

The arm I9 at the opposite side of the frame Il is movable in a vertically disposed guide 22., suitably attached to the hoistand is provided at its upper end with a bracket 23, on which a vertically adjustable bolt or stud 2d'is mounted. This stud is adapted to actuate a switch and break the hoisting circuit of the motor I2 to automatically limit the upward movement of the load. A coil spring 2B attached to the bracket 23 and to a bracket 2,1 on the lower end of guide 22 moves the frame I1 downwardly to its normal position and thereby urges rollers 28 on the lower end of' said frame under pressure against the upper bags B carried by the sling I5 to thus stabilize the load and prevent swinging or swaying motion thereof relative to the hoist.

YIt will be understood that any desirednumber of electrically, controlled hoists such as 6 may be mounted in suspended relation from the continuous monorail 5 `for longitudinal traveling movement one after the other. In this case, a trailer trolley 28 is spaced a short distance rear- .wardly from the frame 8 of each leading trolley and is connected therewith by a chain or other ilexibleelement indicated at 29. This trolley 28 at its rear side carries an arm or projection 30 with which a switch operating button 3| on the forward end of the following trolley frame 8 is adapted to engage tooperate the switch and break the travel motor circuit for the latter trolley frame. Any slightforward motion of said trolley after its motor circuit is broken will result in the forward motion of the trailer trolley 28 of the advance trolley framel 8, and thus produce slack in the chain connection 29. This relative movement between frame 8 and the trolley 28 is essential, since it is not possible to bring the trolley to an instant stop Vupon Athe breaking of its motor travel circuit. Chain 29 is normally kept tautY by the provision of a leaf spring member 32 having frictional bearing engagement upon the wheels of the trailer trolley 28 which results in a braking action and causes said trolley to drag behind the main trolley.

'Complete control of travel motor II and hoist motor I2 is attained through switch unit at the lower ends ofthe sheathed conductors indicated at 33 and 34, depending from the trailer trolley 28', said current conductors being connected with themotors through the connection indicated at 35 extending between the main trolley. frame 8 land the trailer trolley 28. The switch unit for the control of motor II has a manually operable arm indicated at 36 which when moved in one direction from a neutral position closes the motor circuit for forward travel, and when moved in the opposite direction, closes the motor circuit for rearward travel of the trolley. This switch arm or leverwill remain set in the forward position but preferably is returned by means vof a suitable spring, upon release from the reverse to the neutral position.

The switch unit' for the control of the hoist motor I2 includes an up-button 31 closing the motor circuit in one direction to hoist the load; a down-button 38 to close the motor circuit in the reverse direction and lower the load and a stop-button 39. However, in addition to these control switches, I may provide certain automatically operating limit switches for controlling the motor circuits independently of said manually operable switches as will be presently described.

At a suitable point upon the dock beneath one side of the monorail 5, the Government and merchant scales generally indicated at S upon which the bags of sugar Vare to be weighed, are suitably positioned. Atdthe proper point so as to stop the traveling hoist and its load above the scales S, a solenoid 40 is mounted at one side of the monorail 5 and operates when energized to lift a shoe 4I on the lower end of the solenoid core G2. This shoe when in its normal position is adapted to actuate a normally closed switch I3 carried by the trolley frame 8 to open the circuit of motor I i and thus stop further travel of the hoist. A similar switch actuating shoe is also mounted at a suitable point in advance of the scales S and is actuated to switch releasing posi tion by the solenoid indicated at MI. The circuits of these solenoids III and lili may be closed by the operation of a common push-button or other type of switch arranged at the oiiice or house of the scale attendant.

There is also xed to one side of the monorail 5, a shoe which operates a normally open switch IS on the trolley frame 8 to close the lowering circuit of the hoist motor I2, when the hoist arrives at the unloading position. In suitably spaced relation from the shoe 435, a lever l is fulcrumed in spaced relation to one of its ends as at i8 at the top of monorail 5, and has suspended from said end thereof a shoe i9 which engages the movable element of switch @.3 and opens said switch to break the circuit of motor Y I I, thus bringing the trolley to a stop.

When the trolley is automatically stopped; above the weighing scales by the operation of switch 43 by the shoe 4I, the button 38 or' the manually controlled switch unit for motor I2 is then pressed so as to operate said motor and lower the load carried in sling I5 to the scale platform. The lowering movement is stopped by breaking the motor circuit by actuation of pushbutton 39 or an automatically acting limit switch may be provided in the motor circuit for this purpose. After weighing, the button 31 is pressed so as to again raise the load into Contact with frame I 'I whereby switch 25 is operated in the manner above explained to automatically break the motor circuit. 'Ihe scale attendant then presses the button to energize the solenoids lII) and 44, thus lifting the shoes 4I and permitting switches 43 to return to normally closed positions so that the travel motors I I'are energized. Thus the hoist with the weighed sugar bags progresses towards the unloading station and the succeeding hoist takes its place above the scale platform.

As herein shown, there may be arranged below one end of the rectangular track or monorail 5, the end of a load-receiving endless conveyer 5D driven bythe motor 5I. When the hoists arrive above the end of the conveyer 5E), switches 43 and 46 are actuated in the manner above explained so as to stop the travel of the hoist trolley and close the lowering circuit of hoist motor I2, thereby lowering the load of sugar bags upon the end of conveyer 50, where an operator is stationed to release'said bags from the sling I5. Upon lifting 75 aooasvi the shoe 49 by means of operating element 41" connected to lever 41, the switch d3 Will return to closed position to close the circuit of motor Il and continue the travel of the hoist. The sugar bags may thus be deposited upon this conveyer 50.

It is important to note that the hoist motor i2 and the hoist have together as a unit transverse swinging or swaying movement relative to the trolley frame and that due to the provision of the spring 26 the vertically movable frames l1 are normally urged downwardly to engage the rollers 2S with the upper bags B in the sling l5 as the load in the sling is raised. or lowered by the hoist in the operation of the hoist motor. In this arrangement the spring urged frames il serve as means for the effective stabilization of the load carried by the pivotally connected hoist and they prevent swinging or swaying motion oi? the load relative to the hoist. It will be appreciated that the hoist by reason of its mounting Von the trolley supported trunnion 1, has transverse swinging movement relative to the trolley frame for picking up its load and that due to the provision of the movable stabilizing mechanism whereby swaying motion of the load relative to the hoist is prevented, both the hoist and the monorail are relieved of excessive stresses and strains. By arranging the hoist motor and load stabilizing mechanism on the hoist itself, an important advantage ensues in that the space adjacent the monorail is entirely free of these parts, making it possible to use the automatically acting means for controlling the travel of a plurality of trolleys in a way that prevents any collision between the same when one of the trolleys is in stationary position at the weighing station. i

From the foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, it is believed that the construction, manner of operation an-d several advantages of my invention as herein disclosed will be clearly and fully understood. It will be seen that I have provided a simple and reliable operating apparatus whereby such heavy bags of sugar or other material may be expeditiously handled, weighed and deposited upon an endless conveyer or the like for transport to a suitable predetermined destination. VThe automatic control means herein refeired to enables the several operations to be carried out with absolute safety, both to the apparatus and to the necessary attendants in charge thereof, and enables the manual labor which has heretofore been incident to the handling of such materialsto be reduced to a minimum. Since the means which I provide for preventing swinging movement of the load during the travel of the pivoted hoist is highly effective for this purpose, the weighing and conveyance ofthe load is greatly facilitated and the apparatus relieved of eX- cessive strains, while possible accidental release of the load from the hoist is obviated.

In the foregoing description of the accompanying drawing, I have disclosed one embodiment of the essential features of my present invention,

which I believe to be entirely practical for the purpose in view. It is nevertheless to be under-- stood that my invention is capable of embodiment in many different environments and may also be vincorporated in various other alternative struci.. A traveling load -hoist adapted to raise irregularly shaped loads comprising a hoist frame and load hoisting means carried by said frame, a hollow, vertically movable, rigid,` box-like load stabilizing frame depending from .the hoist frame and surrounding said hoisting means, a plurality of spaced apart load engaging bearing members rigid with said stabilizing frame extending downwardly from said stabilizing frameand rollers on the ends of said members, said rollers being adapted to engage the load.

2. The structure of claim l wherein said boxlike frame is provided with yielding means normally urging said frame and said projecting legs downwardly into engagement with said irregularly shaped load.

JACOB J. NEUMAN. 

